Chapter 29 Surprise victory in the fourth quarter, single-minded

In the spirit of businessmen, there is an extremely important thing about business ideas and management methods, that is, to succeed in business, you should not only establish good business ethics, but also establish a spirit of winning by surprise and being good at competition. The so-called "the rich must use odd wins". "Surprise victory" was originally the way of military strategists. "Sun Tzu's Art of War · Potential" said: "The army of the three armies can make those who are bound to meet the enemy but not defeated, and it is just right." , To win victory with "unexpected" struggle strategies and methods.Those who are good at making surprises need to know what others don't know, do what others cannot do, "conquer forever" (don't repeat previous plots), make changes as appropriate, and surprise endlessly.Doing business was called "governing life" and "cargo breeding" in ancient times; during the Warring States Period, Bai Gui's governing life was like "Sun Wu used soldiers", so it can be seen that Bai Gui was the earliest person who was good at applying the art of war to business in ancient times.How are the so-called Qi and Zheng in the Art of War related to business?Sima Qian once replied: "A man who is slender and weak is the right way to manage his life, but the rich must use miracles to win." Although diligence and thrift (slender muscles) are the right way to govern life, if you can't win by surprise, you can't get rich and start a career; Well combined.Because in market competition, "competing against others for profit is the most difficult thing in the world" ("Sun Tzu's Art of War Notes").In order to gain an advantage in the competition of strong opponents and stand invincible, it is not enough to rely on diligence and thrift. They must also use contingency and resourcefulness. Just like using soldiers, they must use unexpected strategies to win. win. "Victory by surprise" embodies the "contingency" thinking of military strategists, not sticking to common laws, but making good use of changes, "go out of what you don't want, and go what you don't want" ("Sun Tzu's Art of War·Virtuality").This is the crystallization of ingenuity.Bai Gui refuses to accept those who are "insufficient in intelligence and flexible" as apprentices, because such people cannot use the management method of winning by surprise.A successful business must be a combination of thrift and odd wins.

Sima Qian summed up the management methods of ancient merchants very concretely and vividly.As mentioned before, Fan Li said that "drought is for boats, water is for carts", "expensive is like dung, and cheap is like pearls and jade". These are things that others cannot do. It seems counterintuitive. It is an example of success by surprise.Another example is that Bai Gui is "take what people abandon, and take what others take." It's completely different, and that's what makes Bai Gui so special.Fan Li and Bai Gui's business success lies in their mastery of the principle of "waiting for exhaustion".As good merchants, when the supply of commodities exceeds demand and there is no large demand, they stockpile them first, and the purchase price they offer is a little higher than the current market price. It is called "buy when the time is cheap, even though it is expensive"; when the demand for commodities exceeds the supply, even if the selling price is a little lower than the current market price, it is still "expensive" compared to the purchase price when the supply exceeds demand. This is called "sell when the time is expensive, even though it is cheap, it is expensive".They do not underestimate the price when buying, do not raise the price when selling, and do not "compete with the general merchants in the market for the price of buying and selling, but pay attention to the time". As a result, they can still get a lot of profit from the normal and reasonable price difference between purchase and sale. .This kind of cheap but affordable, expensive and affordable method is not the same as speculating and hoarding. It is something that ordinary businessmen can't think of, and they are not willing to do it.

This "unique" management idea and method originated from Fan Li and Bai Gui formed an excellent cultural tradition and inspired later generations of merchants (referring to sincere Jia and good merchants).Especially in the Ming and Qing Dynasties when they were successful in doing business, there were more people who obeyed Fan Li and Bai Gui in the two largest business gangs in the country - the Jin Gang and the Hui Gang. Zhang Siwei, who was born in a rich merchant family in Puzhou in the Ming Dynasty and later entered the cabinet, said that Shanxi merchants "can use their hearts to plan money and bribes, and are good at winning."For example, Fan Shikui said, "He tends to give up every time he makes a surprise, and he often seeks great profits, but he must follow the law and abide by the law. If his division is unrighteous, he will not take a single thing from others."This is a representative of a good businessman who can win by surprise and speaks business ethics.When Wang Haifeng, a Puzhou businessman, was dismissed by the "legal abuse" in Cangyan, he took Cangyan alone and took the initiative to make suggestions for the salt officials, so as to change the situation and "greatly benefit the expenditure" (financial), "Wang's career benefits Rao".In this regard, he himself said that "I will take what people abandon, and I will take what people abandon." This kind of thinking comes from Bai Gui's "I take what people abandon". Chia.

Winning by surprise is also the same method for Huizhou merchants who are as famous as Shanxi merchants to do business and get rich.For example, Xiu Ning Wang Yingshi, traveling with businessmen, "has scheming, many oddities, and gradually getting rich".Huang Ying of Shexian County knew very well that Jia Ying’s shrinkage was uncertain, “it’s impossible to get close to a surprise win if you don’t respond well and make more plans.” Studying the Seven Strategies (Fan Li's Jiran strategy) often coincides with each other."Xiuning Chengsuo, because "the low price of grain hurts the farmers, and the merchants hold the price of grain and refuse to pay", they store it at a fair price, and next year there will be a big famine, "the grain is expensive, and the price of all the households in the valley market will be the same as in previous years."He is also the one who has carefully studied Bai Gui's business methods.

Merchants talk about peace and harmony in business, mainly asking for forgiveness without fighting, unity and cooperation within the firm and business gangs, so as to deal with external competition.It is still necessary to compete unremittingly with the outside world. If you are not good at competition, you will not be able to gain a foothold in the market. How to win by surprise and improve your competitive skills have always been the concerns of merchants.But as honest businessmen, they know that they must still "be reasonable and law-abiding" in the competition.Confucianism emphasizes "harmony" and Taoism emphasizes "non-dispute" ("the virtue of non-dispute"). There is harmony in disputes. This is the characteristic of Chinese businessmen.Harmony, cooperation and competition are used comprehensively. In competition, assimilation is required to assimilate differences, and the possibility of coexistence, complementarity, cooperation, mutual benefit, mutual benefit, and win-win is seen.Promote benign and orderly competition and avoid vicious and unfair competition. "Struggle" and "harmony" are well combined and unified. Only in this way can competition be pushed to the best state and highest level, which is in line with "righteousness" - social justice.

In order to succeed in business, in addition to establishing the spirit of winning by surprise and being good at competition, it is also necessary to establish the spirit of focusing on the industry, which can be summed up in the word "sincerity". "Chengyi" also comes from "Historical Records Biography of Huozhi".Sima Qian listed many people who got rich "using odd victories", such as Qin Yang, Tian Shu, Huan Fa, Yong Lecheng, Yong Bo, Zhang Shi, Zhi Shi, Zhuo Shi, Zhang Li, etc. Sincerity is the result of oneness." Sincerity is the sincerity of sincerity and sincerity, and one is the oneness of one heart and one mind.Sincerity means to be single-minded, to be precise in one line of work.Only by being single-minded can one be successful. "Chengyi" and "Qisheng" are complementary, and they are two necessary conditions for doing business and getting rich.

Chengyi is expressed in different words among the pre-Qin scholars.Confucius said that a sage and a gentleman "can't see it if they don't see it, but if they can see it, it's okay to see it" ("The Analects of Confucius Shuer").Those who are persistent are "people with the same heart", that is, people with a single mind.Mencius said: "If you don't concentrate, you will not succeed." ("Mencius·Gaozi 1") Xunzi said more profoundly: "Thinking is the essence, the glory of ambition, and the one that is good, the spirit is accomplished, the spirit is connected, one Not two is a sage." ("Xunzi Chengxiang") You must be single-minded in doing things for learning, and business is no exception.Guan Zhong advocated that businessmen should concentrate on their own business and pass on their experience to their children. Foreign objects move away."If you don't change your mind and concentrate on studying and doing business, you will be able to "know how much you expect, regardless of the high or low", whether there is currency or not, and what is missing, and you will be a good businessman who is proficient in your profession.

From the perspective of the development process of business, small businessmen have limited capital and can only rely on "strength" (hard work) and "sincerity" to accumulate money bit by bit; therefore, Sima Qian's list is mostly small businessmen.However, large merchants have sufficient capital, and they may also need comprehensive management and mutual adjustment to maintain balance and disperse risks.However, as far as a certain line or industry in the comprehensive management is concerned, there is still a problem of "sincerity and integrity".Proficiency in business is based on sincerity (sincerity one), and it is not easy to do business if you cannot concentrate on it.Therefore, "Chengyi" is as important to business success as "Qisheng".

The reason why Huizhou merchants and Shanxi merchants have made outstanding achievements is also related to "sincerity".Huang Ying, an Huizhou merchant mentioned above, is a person who "understands righteousness" and loves to read. To, the voice of karma arises."It seems that he is a businessman who can get rich with sincerity.On the wall of the Changyuchuan tea house opened by the Qu family in Qixian, Shanxi merchants, there is a couplet on the wall, which reads: "Everyone does one thing, the heart is dedicated and refined..." and other words that emphasize professionalism and specialization, as A motto that encourages colleagues, this is one of the examples that Shanxi merchants attach importance to the teaching of "sincerity and oneness".The longevity of the Shanxi bank is due to a good set of rules and regulations, all of which come from the founders and their participants who are dedicated to planning and operating.Some ticket numbers directly use "Zhiyi" as the brand name ("Zhiyitang" is the semicolon of Taigu Zhichengxin Bank in Beijing), and its intention to promote "Chengyi" can be seen.Practical examples all show that a businessman must be proficient in his business, devote himself to his thoughts, and become an expert in his field in order to have any hope of success;Watching the game of chess with one's eyes and a big heart in one's heart, how can it be compared to those who are dedicated to their studies and careers?

From all aspects of the merchant spirit, it can be seen that this is the inheritance of traditional culture and business virtues of merchants since ancient times, and it is also the common experience and outstanding performance of the success of major merchant gangs in the Ming and Qing Dynasties.Carrying forward these spirits at that time (Ming and Qing Dynasties) was conducive to resisting the mercantile thinking and strengthening the mercantile concept, which was in tune with the development trend of the commodity economy; Ethos has its certain positive social significance.Not only that, but the merchant spirit, which comes from excellent cultural traditions and reflects the objective principles that business must follow, has surpassed the limitations of history and social systems.As a precious historical and cultural heritage, it still has great guiding significance for businessmen today.Taking the past as a mirror and using the past for the present, this can provide a useful historical reference for creating a huge and moral modern team of honest businessmen.Refer to the height of culture to seek historical reference, concentrate its essence, and present it to people with a core of deep value. This should be more general and easy to accept than simply looking for examples from specific business facts. Credibility, so that it is more effective in gaining wisdom.